1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to condoms, and more particularly, to a condom retainer ring structure for retaining a condom on the penis of the wearer by using the scrotum of the wearer as anchorage.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Condoms have conventionally been used for birth control, whereby the sperm carrying semen of a male is prevented from entering the uterus of a female as semen is trapped in the condom sheath during sexual intercourse. This method of birth control has not proven fail safe. Condoms are known to slip from the penis during sexual intercourse to allow leakage of the semen into the canal of the female leading to the unfertilized egg. Accordingly, methods have been sought to prevent such slippage and thereby protect against leakage to accomplish the end of birth control.
At present times, condoms have gained more importance because of uses other than for birth control. The proliferation of sexual diseases, particularly AIDS, has brought much concern about the dangers of the semen than with respect to preventing fertilization during sexual intercourse. Studies have shown that the trapped semen of an infected person can prevent the transmission of AIDS during sexual activity. Moreover, use of condoms to prevent AIDS has emphasized the advantages of condoms in protecting against the transmission of other sexual diseases during sexual activity. Accordingly, preventing leakage by preventing the slippage of a condom during sexual activity is an end to be desired.
Several U.S. patents disclose inventions directed to preventing such slippage or otherwise avoiding leakage.
British Patent No. 1,252,255 issued to Kennedy and published Nov. 3, 1971, discloses a condom that has a main body section of general cylindrical shape and circular cross section that is substantially smaller than the head section of the condom. The disclosure teaches of the smaller diameter body section to providing a degree of sealing against the escape of semen that is not ordinarily avoided by conventional condoms of uniform tubular cross section.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,354,494 issued to Hogin on Oct. 19, 1982, discloses a condom for preventing contraception or venereal diseases by including an elongate tubular sheath closed at one end and having a periphery about the opening of the other end to which is secured an elongate resilient retention strap. The retention strap is arranged to encircle the scrotum of the wearer and thereby hold on the sheath. The device uses a conventional bead at the periphery of the opening, and so the strap, which is made of thin rubber, is secured thereto in a fairly weak structure. Accordingly, the strap may readily tear from the condom during particularly active sexual activity. Furthermore, the retention device as taught by Hogin requires a complex manufacture of the condom and the strap which would increase the price of condoms with the possible consequence of decreasing the demand for condoms.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,111,831 issued to Foggia on May 12, 1992, discloses a rollable condom having a retention periphery at its open end. A conventional bead at the periphery of the open end is discontinuous at a notch. A hole is located opposite the notch within the wall of the condom sheath along the bead. The hole has a indentation which is centered on the hole towards the closed end of the sheath. The sheath also has a seal which is located toward the closed end of the sheath to form a circumference of a smaller diameter than the tubular sheath. When the sheath of the condom is fully unrolled onto the penis, the scrotum is positioned through the hole to provide a retention strap around the scrotum. It would appear that without the seal, this device would be easier to manufacture than the device of Hogin. But without the seal, there is even a greater opportunity for semen to leak out of the open end as the bead is not there to provide a seal at the periphery.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,955,392 issued to Sorkin introduces a different solution but with other shortcomings. Sorkin teaches use of a condom that includes a tubular length having a closed first end and an open second end. The open second end includes an integral pubic shield which is adapted to overlay the pubic area of the user. The device does not provide for a seal, although leakage may be lessened by the distance the semen has to travel in order to escape from the condom. According to the teachings of Sorkin, however, the condom is of such a complex structure as to increase its cost, and its coverage may also interfere with the pleasure of the activity when it is in use.
In my earlier filed application, of which this application is a continuation-in-part, I disclosed a combination of a condom and a condom retainer ring structure that has an elongated thin-walled tubular sheath of resilient material closed at one end and open at the other end, with a first ring at the periphery of the open end and a second ring adjacent is attached to and adjacent the first ring, with a bridge joining the rings. In use, the first ring surrounds the sheath worn on the shaft of the penis and the second ring encircles the scrotum to anchor the condom. The disclose acknowledged that the condom retainer ring structure in accordance with the invention may be used with a commercially produced condom. In such a case, the condom is placed on the penis as any commercially produced condom would be placed on the penis and the condom retainer ring structure is placed on the penis and scrotum thereafter.
Although I am quite satisfied with the advantages of the structures disclosed in my earlier filed application, particularly as the advantages relate to the condom having a retaining ring structure built therein, I have conceived of an improvement to the earlier disclosed structures of the condom retainer ring that improves upon its retention, on the shaft of a penis, of commercially produced condoms (those produced without the retaining ring structure being an integral part of the condom), even as my earlier disclosed retaining ring structure improves over the art that proceeded it.